Re: WWD Allosaurus Re: WWD Allosaurus

["Larry Febo" <larryf@capital.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Erik Omtvedt <omtvedt@mail.com>
To: Dinosaur Discussion <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 2:03 AM
Subject: Re: WWD Allosaurus Re: WWD Allosaurus


>I agree, they did do a better job with Big Al than WWD.
>I still don't like the fact that they pass off speculation as absolute
truth without >explaining that many of these theories are infact just
theories as of yet. In a few years, >when these theories may change, WWD and
everyone who has been involved might >be given a dim light in the public
eye. I think it's important to stress that science is >about new
interpretations and not about having some sort of omnipotent knowledge. It
>could really effect the public's view of modern paleontology. Just a
thought.

I agree completely. I suppose it helps the "flow" of the storyline to show
all this speculation about past behavior by use of their animation
technique, but I would think it more a scientific presentation to show the
fossil evidence first, and then present the possible behavior by animation,
and call it just that,...speculation.And perhaps offer more than one
possible explaination for the evidence at hand to represent opposing views.

One particular morphological-behavioral speculation that bothered me was
that big Al developed a reddened nasal crest that showed his sexual
maturity, yet,...the larger female that he attempted to mate with also
sported a red crest. Does this make sense, that such an indicator would be
present in both sexes? (Perhaps big Al really got his butt kicked because he
tried to mate with a larger male!)